A good friend, Aaron A. and I had set aside two mornings and two afternoons for some LR doggin. He and his family would be coming through our area and we wanted to commit to some LR doggin.
Rain and high winds took away three of those shooting opportunities. We did go out on a Saturday afternoon late. Winds were in the 7mph zone but were not constant.
Aaron is running a rear-grip XP-100 chambered in 7mm Dakota (180 Berger Hybrids). He made a benchrest stock for his XP that is 3" wide in the forend and is also 3" wide at the base of the grip. He added lead to it to make the weight overall around 32 pounds (no muzzle brake). 20" 1.250 diameter Krieger or Bartlein 8.5 Twist, Jewel trigger, 12-42 NF benchrest scope. Has a Variable Gantry Mount scope base that can be adjusted to over 100 MOA.
Mine is a BAT non-designated action, 7mm LRM (Long Range Magnum), 1-8 twist Krieger W/Gunwerks brake, Jewel trigger, Eric Wallace Benchrest stock, 20 MOA base, Burris Signature Zee Rings (added 20 MOA with inserts), Sightron S-III 6-24 with MOA reticle.
Gunwerks factory ammo (180 Berger Hybrid). It weighs around 16 pounds.
Gunwerks chambered and fitted the barrel. I was going to run a 20" tube for this project, but once I realized that Gunwerks was looking for ballistic information for shorter than their normal barrel length in their rifles (25.5"), I decided to go with a 21.75" tube. This is closer to what they are considering.
I guessed MV based on what the typical MV was in a 25.5" 7 LRM would be when cut down to 21.75" to be around 2850 fps. I ran several different drop charts in 50 fps increments.
First time I shot this rig was sighting it in at 100 yards a couple of Saturday afternoons ago the very day we went after dogs, using only their ammo.
I shot out to just over 1600 yards. No dead dogs, but a handful of real close ones. If they had been rock chucks, they would have been dead for sure. Beyond 1500 to 1600 yards the 6-24 S-III with its 1/4 minute dot was just to large. Chose this scope since it has 100 MOA internally and a 20 MOA reticle. Should have put my 8-32 S-III (less internal MOA) on.
I would normally had a heavier barrel, but this was the only 8T Krieger I could find at the time.
These are purely bench specialty pistols, built for the sole purpose of accuracy off of the bench.
Both of us were using MAX Rests.
My longest shot was just over 1600 yards. Dogs were going down after 1 or two close shots which made things difficult.
Fast forward several weeks.
I chronographed the 7LRM, using Gunwerks ammo this past Friday afternoon. I was fortunate and one of my guesses was correct, as it was right at 2850 fps.
The story behind this 5-shot group at 100 yards below:
I shot this 5-shot group at 100 yards yesterday after engaging two targets per 100 yards from 400-1100 yards, in increments of 100 yards in a local LR match.
We could take up to two shots per target, but only one hit counted.
Everything was under time requirements.
Targets at each distance were 1MOA and 1/2 MOA, so of course, the target sizes varied.
You got more points if you hit the target the first time.
The man who put on the match on his own private range took 1st on this portion and I came in second using the 7 LRM.
This all was done with Gunwerks ammo-No tweaking by me!
I just chronographed the load the night before the shoot and had not had a opportunity to confirm drops.
Between me confirming my zero, chronographing the load, shooting the match and letting some guys shoot the 7LRM for fun (Never had shot a SP before), I had over 50 rounds through this barrel since the last cleaning.
I am very pleased with the chambering (Gunwerks) and accuracy of this barrel (Krieger) and with the manufactured ammo produced by Gunwerks.
It is one thing to expect a good group out of clean barrel, but to get a great group after that many rounds is truly pleasing when using a cartridge of this size.
In talking with Aaron Davidson of Gunwerks, he told me he wants at least 1/2" groups at 100 yards with their ammo and their rifle.
I forgot at the moment, whether this was a 3-shot group or a 5-shot group, since they make LR hunting rigs, not comp rigs.
Scope continues to be a Sightron S-III 6-24 with MOA reticle.
For guys who do not reload, and want a excellent long-range cartridge in 7mm, the 7mm Long Range Magnum is one good option.
This non-designated BAT action (Jewel trigger) is a switch barrel/switch stock, and I will be reconfiguring it with a different barrel for a LR specialty pistol match in a couple of weeks.
After that, I will put the field stock on it, a McRee pistol chassis, and set it up for field shooting and hunting for this fall.
I still have not loaded for it yet.
This is the best 5-shot group I have ever made with this many rounds through the tube, and I didn't load for it :grin:
That feels weird and great all at the same time.
